Coupler operating mechanism



May 27, 1958 H. H. WOLFE COUPLER OPERATING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. l9. 1953 INVENTOR WoL/z' BY Q 4 l ATTORNEY May 27, 1958 Filed Nov. 19, 1953 H.H.VVOLFE COUPLER OPERATING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR" ATTORNEY United States Patent COUPLER OPERATING MECHANISM Harry H. Wolfe, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to The Buckeye Steel Castings Company, Columbus, Gino Application November 19, 1953, Serial No. 393,193

7 Claims. (Cl. 213-159) The present invention relates to means for unlocking a'railway coupler and more specifically pertains to an actuating mechanism wherein the coupler operating rod is not connected to the lock lifting mechanism of the coupler.

It is desirable in some railway operations to position railway cars on dumping apparatus wherein at least one car is turned through substantially one hundred and eighty degrees to discharge a load from the car body. The car dumping apparatus operates to rotate a railway car about a horizontal axis extending lengthwise of the railway car a and about the axis of the coupler stems. In such dumping operations it is advantageous for the coupler on the car being dumped to remain in coupled engagement with the adjacent upright or undumped car. The shank of at least one of the couplers carried by such a hopper or like car is equipped with means permitting the dumped car and the draft rigging including a rear portion of the coupler stem to rotate through substantially one hundred and eighty degrees with respect to the coupler head which remains coupled to the upright railway vehicle. The structure of the coupler stem which permits rotation 'of the draft rigging while the coupler head remains in an upright position forms no part of the present invention.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a coupler operating rod for a railway coupler which is unattached to the lock lifting mechanism of the coupler so that the car body carrying the operating rod may turn through approximately one hundred and eighty de grees while the head of the coupler remains in coupled engagement with the coupler of another railway vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lug on the rotor lever of a lock lifting mechanism for a coupler which will permit a portion of the operating rod to engage the lug without being connected to the rotor lever to thereby permit the coupler operating rod to turn with the car body during a dumping operation while the head portion of the coupler remains in mated engagement with an adjacent coupler.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a coupler operating rod of such shape and such a mounting B therefor that it will serve to operate the coupler in an upright position of a railway car and permit the coupler operating rod to move with the car body when the railway vehicle is inverted.

Other objects and features of the invention will be more apparent to those skilled in the railway art as the present disclosure proceeds and upon consideration of the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings wherein an embodiment of the invention is disclosed.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of a coupler provided with a rear stem portion which is adapted to turn with a railway car body and rotate about the axis of a front stem portion and showing the coupler operating rod.

Fig, 2 is a sectional view taken through the coupler 2,836,307. Patented May 27, 1958 stern on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and showing the coupler operating rod in front elevation.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the coupler showing the operating rod partially in section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the coupler taken approximately on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1 illustrating the lock lifting means and showing the manner in which the coupler operating rod cooperates therewith.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a rotor lever for the coupler operating mechanism.

The operating mechanism has particular utility for a coupler of a railway car wherein the car body is adapted to turn about a longitudinal horizontal axis so that the load carried by the car may be discharged therefrom in a dumping operation. In such a dumping operation it is advantageous to avoid uncoupling the car being dumped from another railway vehicle or car. The stem of the coupler attached to the car to be dumped is so designed that the rear portion of the shank and the draft rigging may turn with the car while the coupler head remains in mated engagement with the coupler of an adjacent vehicle. The invention is directed to a coupler operating mechanism including an operating rod which is in elfect secured to the car body so that the operating rod may move bodily with the car as it is dumped. The inner end of the operating rod is unattached to the coupler but under normal conditions is in a position to actuate the lock lifting mechanism and the knuckle throwing assembly.

The coupler may be of any suitable type and in the embodiment illustrated a type F coupler head is shown at 10 which includes a knuckle ill and an aligning wing lug 12 and an aligning wing pocket 14. Such a coupler is provided with a centrally located bottom shelf 16 and a lower centrally disposed lug 18. The coupler head It is formed integral with a front stem portion 19. A rear stem portion 21 is rotatable with respect to the front stem portion 19. The rear stem portion 21 is mounted in the draft rigging in a suitable manner to permit some horizontal and some vertical angling of the coupler stem with respect to the draft rigging which includes body sills 22 and a striker 23. The pulling and buiiing forces are transmitted through the connection (not shown) between the front stem portion 19 and the rear stem portion 21. The front stem portion 19 and the coupler head It) may thus remain in an upright position while the rear stem portion turns with an inverting of the car body and the draft rigging. The pivoting connection between the front stem portion and the rear stem portion 21 is indicated at 2t A coupler carrier 24 of the resilient type is provided at the lower front portion of the striker 2 3 for supporting the coupler stern portion 2;. The pivoting connection between the front stem portion 19 and the rear stem portion 21 is such as to prevent drooping of the front stem portion 19 and the coupler head it The coupler is provided with a lock 26 (Fig. 4) which is provided with a lock leg 27 which depends into a lock leg cavity 28 in the usual manner. The lock 26 is shown in the locked position and under normal conditions the upper end of the toggle 29 underlies a shelf 31 on the knuckle tail to prevent inadvertent upward movement of the lock. The lock lifting or operating means includes a rotor lever 32 which is pivotally connected at one end to the lower end 33 of the toggle. A trunnion 34 carried by the toggle extends through a slot 36 in the lock leg in the usual manner. The rotor lever 32 is provided with a hook shaped end portion 37 which is supported on the couplerhead by means of a rotor 38. The lock actuating operating rod in the inactive'position. V

mechanism to which the present invention is directed does not utilize the rotor 38 for turning the rotor lever 32 during the shifting of the lock lifting mechanism to a positionjto unlock the knuckle and the rotor lever 32 is provided with means which is engaged by the operating rod ashereinafter described for lifting the lock and actuating the knuckle thrower 39. g l

A rod for operating the lock actuating mechanism is shown at 41. The outer end of the rod 41 is supported for rotation by means of a bearing hanger 42 carried by a bracket 43 secured to the end of the railway car body near the side thereof as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The outer end portion of the operating rod 41 extends downwardly to form a handle 44. The coupler operating rod 7 41 is also supported for rotation by a bearing member 46 which may be carried by or be cast integral with the striker 23. l a V t The coupleroperating rod extends downwardly subassaso'r F stantially at right angles to the intermediate portion immediately inwardly of the bearing member 46 to form adepending portion 47. The inner end portion'48 of the coupler operating rod is disposed substantially at right angles to the depending portion 47 and in the inactive position'lies adjacent the front lower portion of V the striker 23. g The inner end portion 48 is substantially straight and lies in an approximately horizontal plane.

It,will be observed that this portion of the coupler operating rod is not attached to any other part ofthe lock lifting'mechanism nor to the coupler head. The operating rod 41;is retained, in aninoperative position particularly during dumping of the car body on a dumping mechanism by means of a detent member 52 which may be in the-form of a resilient strap'riveted orotherwise:

secured to the lower portion of the striker.

The rotor lever 32 carries a lug 56 having a plane face 57 of relatively large area which in the normal locked position-is arranged in a substantially vertical plane. The plate portion of the lug may be welded at its upper end to the rotor lever 32 or cast integral therewith. A gusset reinforcing web 58 is provided for rendering the lug 56 rigid with respect to the rotor lever. V

.Theinner end portion. 48 and thecoupler operating rod is so disposed as to engage the flat bearing face 57 of the lug 56 when the coupler operating rod is moved to a position to unlock the coupler. Such movement of the coupler operating rod involves counterclockwise rotation of the intermediate portion '41 in Fig. 3 which causes the inner. end'portion' 48 to swing in the direction of the arrow 59 and engage the lug 56. Further rotation of the-coupler operating rod will cause the rotor lever 32 to turn about the axis of the rotor 38 so that the toggle is moved to shift the upper end portion 29 from a position under the shelf 31. Further rotation of the coupler operating rod will cause the lock 26 to be lifted a and the knuckle thrower 39 to be actuated to shift the knuckle'll to an open position. 7 l l The lower end of thelug '56 describes an arc as shown at 61 while the upper end of the lug describes an are depicted at 62 during a'lock lifting operation. It will be observed that the are 63 described by'the center of the inner end portion 48 of the coupler operating rod 41 always lies between the arcs 61 and 62 during an opera-- tion of shifting the lock to an unlocked position.- Upon completionof alock lifting operation'and the operation of swinging the knuckle to an open position release of the handle'44 of the coupler operating rod' will cause the rod structure to return to an inactive position because the center of gravity of the rod is below. the bearing 42 and46. The inner end portion 48 will engage the releasable detent member 52 which retains, the 'coupler .The coupleroperating rod being unattached to lifting mechanism orthe' coupler head is free to move bodily with 'the' car body during'a dumping operation even though the coupler'head and the lockliftinginecha 4 I anism of the coupler remain in a relatively fixed position such as when the coupler of the car being dumped remains coupled to another railway vehicle. Whenthe contents of the car are discharged and the car body is returned to an upright vposition the coupler operating rod and the inner end portion 48 is again in position for actuating the lock lifting mechanism.

While the invention has been described with reference to a particular type of railway coupler and with respect to a coupler operating rod of one shape and arrangement it will be apparent that the coupler operating mechanism may be'applied to other types of couplers and that l the coupler operating rod may 'have'other designs and 1 mountings. Such changes and other. modifications may be made without departing from the spirit'and the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

'What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a coupler operating mechanism; a coupler head, a lock mounted for substantially vertical movements within the coupler head, means for operating said lock including a rotor lever mounted on a lower portion of the coupler head for forwardiand upward pivoting movementwith respect thereto during initiation of a lock lifting operation, a lug carried by the rotor lever depending therefrom and having a flat rear substantially vertical face in the inactive position of the rotor lever, a coupler operating rod, means supporting the coupler operating during initial rotation of the operating rod into engage ment with said flat face of the lug to initially movethe.

lug forwardly and turn the rotor-lever.

2. In a railway'coupler operating mechanism, a draft 7 rigging including a striker adapted to be fixed to the body to thedraftiriggin'g, said second stem portion beingto tatable about a longitudinal axisof the first stem portion, a lock mounted for generally vertical movements within the coupler head, means mounted on a lower por; tion of the coupler head including a rotor lever for operating said lock, a lug on said rotor lever, 21 coupler operating rod, means supporting'said rod for rotation includ ing a bearing carried by the striker, a depending portion on the operating 'rod extending downwardlylthere'fron inwardly of said bearing, and aninner end portion on the rod extending substantially at right angles to the depending portion in a generally horizontal directionsub stantially parallel to the axis about which said. rod rotates and in a position to engage said lug upon rotation of the rod. 1

3. In a railway coupleroperating mechanisnna draft rigging adapted to be fixed to a car body, a coupler head,

a first stern portion extendingrearwardly' from the coupler head, a second stem portion rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the first Stem portion extending rearwardly therefrom and connectedto said draft rigging, a

lock mounted for generally vertical movementswithin the lock a the coupler head, means mounted on a loweriportion of the coupler head including a depending lug for operating said'lock, an operating rod, a handle at an outer endf'of said rod, a bearing adjacent said handle supporting the outer end of the rod for rotation, a bearing carried 'by' the. draft rigging supporting said rod for "rotation, a .de-

pending portion on the operating rodextending downwardly and inwardly of the second bearing, and an inner rend-portion on the rod extending substantially atright angles-tome depending portion in a generally'horizontal direction transversely of the first stem portionand in 'a position to engage said lugupon rotation of .the intermediate portion.

4. In a coupler operating mechanism, a coupler head, a lock mounted for general vertical movements within the coupler head, means carried by a lower portion of the coupler head including a rotor lever for lifting said lock, a lug carried by said rotor lever depending therefrom, a coupler operating rod, means supporting the coupler operating rod for rotation, an inner end portion on the coupler operating rod adapted to engage said lug for moving the rotor lever to lift the lock, a stern portion extending rearwardly from the coupler head, a second stem portion rotatable about a longitudinal axis of the first stem, a striker accommodating the second stem portion, and releasable detent means carried by a lower portion of said striker for retaining the inner end portion of the operating rod in an inactive position adiacent the striker.

5. In a coupler operating mechanism, a draft rigging including a striker adapted to be secured to the body of a railway vehicle, a coupler head, a first stem portion carried by the coupler head, a second stem portion extending into the striker and connected to the draft rigging, said second stem portion being rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the coupler head, a lock mounted for generally vertical movements within the coupler head, lock operating means carried by a lower portion of the coupler head, a coupler operating rod, means supporting said rod for rotation including a bearing carried by the striker at a point above the bottom of the second stem portion, a depending portion on the operating rod extending downwardly therefrom inwardly of said hearing, an inner end portion on the rod extending horizontally along a lower portion of the striker and in a position to engage and actuate said lock operating means upon rotation of the rod, and a releasable detent carried by a lower portion of the striker for engaging said inner end portion of the rod retaining it in an inactive position.

6. A railway coupler operating mechanism comprising, a coupler head, a lock mounted for generally vertical movements within the coupler head, means for operating said lock including a rotor lever mounted on a lower portion of the coupler head for forward and upward pivoting movements with respect thereto during initiation of a lock lifting operation, means providing a surface on said rotor lever disposed therebelow in a substantially vertical plane in an inactive position of the rotor lever, a coupler operating rod rotatable about an axis positioned above the level of the pivot for said rotor lever, means supporting said coupler operating rod for rotation, a depending portion on the coupler operating rod arranged in a substantially vertical plane in the inactive position thereof, and an inner end portion on the coupler operating rod unattached to said lock operating means and movable generally horizontally forward during initial rotation of the operating rod into engagement with said surface to swing the rotor lever forwardly and upwardly about its pivot.

7. A lock operating mechanism for a railway coupler comprising a coupler head, a lock mounted for substantially vertical movements within the coupler head, means for lifting said lock including a rotor lever mounted for pivoting movement on a lower portion of the coupler for forward and upward swinging movement during initiation of a lock lifting operation, means integral with said rotor lever providing a vertical surface in an inactive position of the rotor lever, a coupler operating rod, means supporting said coupler operating rod for rotation aboutan axis above the level of the pivot for said rotor lever, a depending portion on the coupler operating rod in the inactive position thereof, and an inner end portion on the coupler operating rod unconnected to said lock operating means and movable generally horizontally forward during initial rotation of the operating rod into engagement with said surface to swing the rotor lever forwardly and upwardly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,614,654 Cofiey Ian. 18, 1927 2,500,418 Kinne Mar. 14, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,065,992 France Nov. 7, 1952 

